Spool



April 6, 1937.

H. C. HOWSAM SPOOL Filed Sept. 23, 1935 YE UP Wag/4rd CZ azmram Patented Apr. '6, 1937 KTENT OFFICE SPOOL lrllilyard C. I-Iowsam, Chicago; 111., assignor to Hubbard Spool Company, Chicago, Ill., a.cor-

poration of Illinois Application September 8 Claims.

This invention relates to spools adapted particularly for carrying material such as wire, yarn, thread, or the like and the main purpose of the invention is to produce a strong, light spool which can be so inexpensively manufactured that it may be discarded or scrapped after the first load thereon has been unwound or removed.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to produce a spool of sheet metal parts and non-metallic parts which are efficiently andeconomically assembled and interlocked.

My improved structure is fully disclosed by the accompanying drawing, in which drawing Figure 1 is a side view of the spool with the hub shell partially broken away;

Figure 2 is an end view;

Figure 3 is an end view with the end disks or heads removed;

Figure 4 is a vertical diametral section of the spool on plane44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a side view of one of the supporting washers or frames.

The material receiving hub 10 of the spool is in the form of ,a cylindrical shell of metallic or non-metallic material. The shell might be a length of metal tubing or formed by rolling up a piece of sheet metal, or the shell could be of non-metallic material such as wood, paper, fiber, or special material. The shell could be of a single layer of material or of laminations.

The heads H of the spool are in the form of cylindrical disks and preferably of non-metallic material which is strong, tough, and durable. Each head has an axial opening I2 therethrough for the passage of arbors or other supports on which the spool may be mounted for winding or unwinding thereof. Each head has also a plurality of openings l3 therethrough outwardly of the axial opening I2 and equally spaced apart and from the axis of the head.

The aligning and clamping washers or frames each comprises a body part M which is preferably dished inwardly or frusto-conical as shown and deflected along its periphery to provide a circular or cylindrical aligning and supporting seat 15 for the end of the hub shell. Extending laterally outwardly from the seat l5 are the clamping or gripping fingers l6 which are spaced in accordance with the spacing of the openings l3 in the heads H. The body Id of each frame has an axially extending circular opening I! therethrough, the material around which is deflected to form an annular flange l8 within the 23, 1935, Serial No. 41,718

dished side of the body. The'openings n of the frames receive the ends of the spool core or arbor receiving tube l9 of sheet metal, the end portions IQ of the tube, during assembly of the spool, being deflected around the ends of the flanges I8 of the supporting frames in interlocking engagement therewith.

The supporting frames can be readily formed up integral of sheet metal. A frame is applied to each head H with its fingers or tongues I6 extended outwardly through the head openings i3, and the projecting ends of the fingers are then deflected radially outwardly and against the outer face of the head and with the ends of the fingers deflected into the head material, and in order that the finger ends may be more readily forced into the head material the ends are provided with serrations or sharp points 20.

It will be noted that the outer sides of the openings l3 in the heads II are in alignment with the outer sides of the fingers I6 and the inner surface of the hub l0 so that the deflected ends of the fingers will be in alignment with the shell. Now when the tube I9 is inserted and its ends 19 are upset and deflected around the ends of the frame flanges I8 for interlocking 2 engagement therewith, tension will be exerted on the supporting frames inwardly in axial direction for drawing the heads H inwardly for secure clamping engagement against the ends of the hub to form tight joints between the hub ends and the heads. By having the clamping fingers I6 deflected in alignment with the ends of the hub, the tension or pull on the supporting frames will be applied directly against the hub ends and warping or dishing of the heads will be prevented.

The bodies M of the supporting frames could be flat instead of dished, but, if they were flat, the pull exerted thereon during the interlocking therewith of the tube I9 would tend to dish the frames and cause distortion of the spool. The frames are therefore provided with the dished bodies, in other words the frames are pre-dished so that when the frames are subjected to tension during the interlocking process there will be no further dishing and no distortion.

The head openings l3 are preferably extended radially inwardly a short distance to provide clearing spaces 2| for the insertion of a proper tool for preventing radial inward displacement of the fingers l6 while their ends are being deflected outwardly against the heads. Where the material of the heads is non-metallic sufficient pressure can be applied to the finger ends during deflection thereof so that they will be countersunk in the heads so as to leave the outer faces of the deflected finger ends flush with the outer faces of the heads H. The spools will then accurately seat on supports during winding or unwinding thereof and they may also be readily stacked.

I thus produce a spool comprising strong but light parts which can be economically manufac-- tured and quickly assembled to form a rigid structure which is entirely free of warping or distortion strains and which can be so inexpensively produced that it may be discarded or scrapped after unloading thereof thus eliminating repair costs and expenses involved in shipping back of the unloaded spool for reloading thereof.

I have shown a practical and efficient embodiment of the various features of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell, heads for said hub, supporting frames abutting the inner sides of said heads and affording alignment seats for the outer ends of said hub, said heads having openings therethrough, fingers on said supporting frames extending outwardly through said openings and deflected against the outer faces of said heads in alignment with the ends of said hub, and an arbor receiving tube interlocked with said supporting frames to exert inward pull thereon for clamping of said heads against the hub ends, said heads having arbor passages in alignment with said tube.

2. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell and heads therefor, a supporting frame on each head abutting the inner side thereof and concentric therewith, said frames receiving the ends of the hub for centering thereof relative to said heads, clamping fingers extending from the periphery of each supporting frame through the corresponding head and deflected against the outer side of the head for clamping the support to the head, and an arbor receiving tube within said hub and interlocked at its ends with said supporting frames to exert axial inward pull thereon for clamping said heads against the hub ends. a

3. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell and heads therefor, a supporting frame on each head abutting the inner side thereof and concentric therewith, said frames receiving the ends of the hub for centering thereof relative to said heads, clamping fingers extending from the periphery of each supporting frame through the corresponding head and deflected against the outer side of the head for clamping the support to the head, and an arbor receiving tube within said hub and interlocked at its ends with said supporting frames to exert axial inward pull thereon for clamping said heads against the hub ends, the

deflected ends of said clamping fingers being in alignment with the ends of the hub whereby the clamping pressure will be in direct line with said hub.

4. A spool of the class described comprising a cylindrical hub shell and end disks therefor, dishshaped sheet metal supporting frames abutting at their perimeters against the inner sides of said end disks concentric therewith and affording supporting surface for the ends of the hub shell to center the shell relative to the disks, clamping tongues extending from the perimeters of said frames through openings in said disks and deflected radially outwardly against the outer sides of said disks in alignment with the hub shell, and means within said hub and between said frames for exerting inward axial pull on said frames for maintaining-clamping engagement of said disks with the hub ends.

5. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell and heads, an integral sheet metal frame for each of said heads, each frame comprising a dished bottom and a rim portion providing a cylindrical outer seating surface and clamping tongues extending in axial directions from said rim portion, each head having a plurality of openings therethrough and the corresponding frame engaging the inner side of the head with its tongues extending through said openings and said tongues being deflected radially outwardly and against the outer faces of the heads in alignment with the corresponding end of the hub supported on the frame, and a tie member within said hub coaxial therewith interlocked with the bottoms of said frames for exerting inward axial pull thereon whereby said heads will be held clamped against the ends of said hub shell, said tie member having an arbor receiving passageway therethrough, and said heads having openings in alignment with said passageway.

6. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell, heads, an integral sheet metal supporting frame associated with each head and abutting the inner side thereof, each frame comprising an inner wall part and a circumferential wall part providing supports for the ends of the hub shell and clamping tongues extending in axial direction from the circumferential wall, said heads having openings therethrough through which said tongues extend and said tongues being deflected at their outer ends against the outer faces of said heads in alignment with the hub shell, an arbor receiving tube extending axially within said hub shell and havihg interlocking connection with the inner wall parts of said supporting frames for exerting inward axial pull on said frames for holding said heads clamped against the hub shell ends, said heads having passages in alignment with said tube.

7. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell, heads for abutting the ends of said shell, a hub supporting frame for each head, each frame comprising a dished bottom portion and a rim portion providing an external circumferential seating surface for receiving the hub shell ends, each head having openings therethrough and the corresponding supporting frame abutting the inner side of the head and having tongues extending from its rim portion and through the head openings and deflected radially outwardly and against the outer side of the head in alignment with the corresponding end of the hub shell, an arbor receiving tube extending axially within the hub shell and having interlocking engagement with the dished portions of said supporting frames for exerting tension on said frames to hold the heads securely clamped against the hub ends, said heads having openings in alignment with said tube.

8. A spool of the class described comprising a hub shell, heads for abutting the ends of said shell concentric therewith, a hub supporting and centering frame for each head, said frames being cup-shaped with outwardly dished bottoms and rim portions providing cylindrical seating surfaces for the respective ends of said hub shell, said heads having openings therethrough, said frames abutting with their rim portions against the inner sides of said heads and having tongues extending from said rim portions outwardly through the head openings and being deflected against the outer sides of said heads in alignment with the hub ends, said frame bottoms having axial openings therethrough and flanges deflected inwardly from said bottoms to surround said openings, an arbor receiving tube extending into said openings and having its ends deflected around said flanges ior interlocking -engagement therewith and to exert inward tension on said frames whereby to-hold said heads securely clamped against the hub ends, said heads having arbor receiving passageways in alignment with said tube.

HILYARD c. HOWSAM. 

